Baseball Opens Road Series at Missouri Baptist

St. Louis, Mo., (April 9, 2026)- The Missouri Valley College baseball team opened a Heart of America Athletic Conference series against No. 7 Missouri Baptist with a Thursday afternoon doubleheader in St. Louis, Mo.  The Vikings fell in both games.

The first game started with a scoreless first and second inning, where Junior Pitcher Rowan Robinson (Calgary, Alberta) induced two fly-outs, and struck out one batter.  Missouri Valley went in front in the top of the third inning, as Senior Rightfielder Colton Campbell (Aledo, Texas) doubled to left field and came home on a grounder from Sophomore Shortstop Bradley Johnson (Lawrenceburg, Ky.) to make it a 1-0 score.  Robinson faced the minimum in the bottom half of the third, inducing a line-out to Junior Leftfielder Alex Alton (Jacksonville, Mo.) to keep the Vikings in the lead.  Missouri Valley put two runners on base in the top of the fourth inning, as Junior Designated Hitter Masayoshi Hattori (Tokyo, Japan) singled, Freshman Centerfielder Devin Norwood (Pearl, Miss.) reached first on a fielder's choice, and Freshman Catcher Gabe Duncan (St. Peters, Mo.) walked, but they were left stranded.  Missouri Baptist responded with a long rally in the bottom of the fourth, using six hits to produce nine runs, holding a 9-1 advantage.  The Vikings were taken down in order in the top of the fifth, and the Spartans added two more runs in the bottom half of the inning to extend the lead, 11-1.  Hattori doubled to left field in the top of the sixth, but was unable to reach home safely.  Missouri Baptist added to its lead in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three runs on three hits.  The final at-bat for MVC ended without anyone reaching safely, and the Vikings fell by a final score of 14-1.

Hattori had two hits, while Campbell finished with one hit and one run scored, and Johnson added one hit.  Robinson went 3.2 innings, giving up five hits and seven earned runs with two strikeouts.

The second game started with a scoreless first inning, as Freshman Pitcher Carson Rustemeyer (Jefferson City, Mo.) faced the minimum in the bottom half of the inning.  The Spartans used a solo home run to take the lead in the bottom of the second, 1-0.  Missouri Valley responded, featuring production from the plate in the top of the third.  Junior Catcher Josh Hudson (Kansas City, Mo.) started the at-bat with a walk,  Sophomore Second Baseman Sota Suzuki (Aichi, Japan) reached on a fielder's choice, while Johnson reached first on an MBU error, and Walton walked to load the bases.  Hattori brought home two runners with a single to move in front, 2-1.  Missouri Baptist answered back in the bottom half of the third, using three hits to score two runs, and reclaim the lead, 3-2.  The Vikings were taken down in order in the top of the fourth, and the Spartans added two more runs in the bottom half of the inning to hold a 5-2 advantage.  Missouri Valley loaded the bases in the top of the fourth, as Suzuki walked, Hattori was hit by the pitch, and Freshman Third Baseman Brennan Nickerson (St. Louis, Mo.) walked, but they were left stranded.  Missouri Baptist used two hits to produce two runs in the bottom of the fifth to extend the lead out to 7-2.   After a scoreless inning for the Vikings, the Spartans scored on a wild pitch to make it an 8-2 score.  The top of the seventh featured a single from Nickerson, but Missouri Valley could not cut into its deficit, and fell by a final score of 8-2.

Hattori led with one hit and two RBI's. Nickerson followed with two hits, while Suzuki and Johnson each added one run.  Both Alton and Norwood finished with a hit each.  Rustemeyer pitched the complete game, giving up eight hits and six earned runs with three strikeouts.

Missouri Valley drops to 3-35 overall and 3-15 in the Heart.  Missouri Baptist improves to 29-5 on the season and 17-1 in the conference. 

Up next, the two teams will finish the Heart series with a doubleheader, Friday beginning at 12 p.m., in St. Louis, Mo. 

Game 1 Box Score-Click Here

Game 2 Box Score-Click Here

About Missouri Valley College

Standing out as one of the most innovative and student-focused liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, Missouri Valley College (MVC) is committed to preparing students for success beyond the classroom. Through the Viking Voyage program, MVC prioritizes career readiness from day one, equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel after graduation. Each of MVC's 30+ in-demand majors—including nursing, business, cybersecurity, computer science, criminal justice, and exercise science—integrates personal instruction, experiential learning, and professional opportunities to prepare graduates to thrive in a rapidly changing and globally connected world. At Missouri Valley College, higher education is more than earning a degree—it's a transformative journey that begins with the end.